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Historical Haunts

Our round-up of the best pubs with built-in conversation starters

Published on August 3rd 2011.

The George InnThe George Inn is (debatably) London’s oldest pub as well as being London’s only surviving galleried, coached inn. It was rebuilt in 1676 after a devastating fire swept London along with many other inns such as the Tabard where Chaucer began his ‘Canterbury Tales’ in 1388. The George Inn was used as a depot for the Great Northern Railway later on, which stripped down two of its fronts to build warehousing. Now only the south side remains. There is an amazing network of connected bars on the ground floor, one of which used to be used as a waiting room for passengers on coaches. Charles Dickens used to frequent the Coffee Room in The Middle Bar.

The Rising SunAfter this pub was abandoned for much of the twentieth century, Samuel Smith completely refurbished the building in 1894. Local tradition has it that body snatchers used to frequent this pub as a meeting place as well as using it as a hunting ground for victims to provide doctors from the near by St Bartholomew’s Hospital with body parts for research purposes. Numerous members of staff have talked of a ‘presence’ at night and the landlady of the pub. In 1990, she was enjoying a shower when she thought she heard the door open and close. The shower curtain, apparently, began to move sideways and she felt a cold touch on her back. But she was, in fact, alone.

The Ten Bells Located on the corner of Commercial Street and Fournier Street in Spitalfields, east London, stands The Ten Bells Pub, famous for its connection with Jack the Ripper. Around since 1752, this pub is where his victims used to drink, and the building still maintains most of its Victorian charm. It doesn’t take long once you walk through the door to realise the ties the pub has with the famous murderer – Jack the Ripper posters and memorabilia plaster the walls.

The Blind BeggarThis pub has one of the most shocking pub histories in London. Not only was it built on Jack the Ripper's exact stomping grounds, but in 1904, Wallis, a member of The Blind Beggar Gang (a notorious gang of pick-pockets who frequented the pub), stabbed another man in the eye with an umbrella. Then on 9th March 1966, Ron Kray walked into the saloon bar of The Blind Beggar and shot George Cornell in the head using a 9mm Mauser. The legend goes that this happened because Cornell had called Ronnie a 'big fat poof', however, more reliable sources suggest the shooting occurred due to a 'business disagreement' involving the Richardson Brothers. Either way, you better be careful in this beautiful Whitechapel pub, as you're probably not in for a quiet pint.

Ye Olde Cheshire CheeseA labyrinthine network of cave-like rooms and awkward passageways, Ye Olde Cheshire cheese really deserves the name 'ye olde'. It was converted from a medieval guest house in 1538 (the original thirteenth century walls still border some of the downstairs rooms), and, due to its Fleet Street location, was once frequented by the likes of Shakespeare, Voltaire, Twain, Tennyson, Dickens and Conan Doyle. The death of Polly, the parrot known for mimicking customers for 40 years – and who is now stuffed in the ground floor bar – was announced on BBC radio and in newspaper obituaries around the world.

Old Nun's HeadThis Tudor-era pub is said to have once been a convent. That is, until Oliver Cromwell's men executed its mother superior. Now the pub's descadent interior plays host to everyone from gay and lesbian activists to local fishermen.

The Three LordsThe Three Lords is a modern version of an original Victorian pub. The original Three Lords was named after three Scottish noblemen (Lord Lovat, The Earl of Kilmarnock and Lord Balmerino) who all had their last nights rest, their last meal and their last drink at the original inn. They had been involved in the 1745 Rebellion when Prince Charles tried to overthrow George II and were thus beheaded as traitors.

The French HouseAfter the fall of France in World War II, General Charles de Gaulle escaped to London where he formed the Free French Forces. His speech rallying the French people, 'À tous les Français' is said to have been written in The French House. It’s a very historic place, having been the meeting point for the French Resistance during World War II, and also proving to be a popular spot for writers Dylan Thomas and Francis Brown, as well Francis Bacon, Brendan Behan and ‘Benjamin the Onion-Seller’ (photographed, by Farson, with a cigarette in his mouth and a string of oignons over his shoulder). Today, the French House remains a bohemian haven; mobile phones are banned and beer is served only in halves.

The AnchorThe Anchor, which dates back to the 1600s, was the pub in which Samuel Pepys viewed the Great Fire of London in 1666. He fled the intense heat of a boat on the river to seek shelter in "a little alehouse on bankside ... and there watched the fire grow". In 1676, The Anchor was rebuilt after another devastating fire. The entire pub's structure has been added to over the ages, making it a fascinating hive of rooms containing several congenial bars.

GrenadierThis pub was once the officers' mess for the Duke of Wellington, a tale told by his portrait, which hangs above the fireplace. Yet the Belgravia pub is most well-known for being haunted by a phantom Guards officer. The story is well documented by the news-clippings displayed on the pub's wall. Caught cheating at cards, the officer suffered a sound thrashing at the hands of his fellow players before falling to his death down the stairs. Ever since, ghostly shadows have been spotted as well as and various odd happenings have been reported at the Grenadier, all of which have been ascribed to the spectral Guardsman.

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